Gasket and seal for hydrocarbon-liquid containers.



No. 699,l99. Patented May 6, I902.

P. J. Locxwooo.

GASKET AND SEAL FOR HYDRUGARBUN LIQUID CONTAINERS.

(Application filed Apr. 30, 1901-) (No Model.)

N avvua'wboz k lwlll 65% I .f B HIM/Ema @z dkp l W m: Nonms PETERS uo.. PHOTO-LITHOY, WASHINGTON, D c.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILO J.Loo1r ooD,- or WASHINGTO DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

GASKET ,AND SEAL FOR HYDROQARBO-N-LIQUIID CONTAINERS.

sPEcIFIcATroNrormin part of Letters Patent No. 699,199,dated May 6, 1902. Application filed April 3 ,1901. Ser aIN 58,109. H mod l.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, PHILo J LocKWooD, a

citizenof the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certa'in new and useful Improvements in Gaskets and Seals for Hydrocarbon-Liquid Containers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates tov improvements in gaskets and seals for the filling-openings of cans, tanks, and other vessels designed to receive oil, gasolene, and other like volatile liquids,and particularly to a gasket and seal for the liquid-fuel tanks ofautomobiles, '&c., wherein the volatile liquid isstored under airpressure for feed to the burner or burners. In storage-tanks of this character the fillingopening is formed by a nipple fitted snugly in an aperture in the tankand having a flange to bear against the inner surface of the wall 1 of the tank and reinforced by solder or brazing. The outwardlyprojecting portion of this nipple is threadedto receive a nut which clamps it in position and is reinforced by soldering or brazing and a screwcap which closes the nipple and is designed to prevent the escape of the liquidfuel and compressed air. Owing to the agitation of the fuel set up by the motion of the vehicle and to the fact that said fuel is stored under pressure it has been found necessary to employ a gasket of some kind to prevent the liquid and the va-. por-impregnated air from escaping through the filling-opening. The .use of rubber for this purpose is impracticable owing to the fact that it is soluble in liquid hydrocarbons and would rapidly deteriorate in use, and as a substitute therefor leather has been employed. The use of leather, however, has been found objectionable, as it lacks the necessary amount of flexibility and resiliency and imperviousness toair and gases to form an absolutely tight joint, quicklyhardens, and must be frequentlyreplaced. Furthermore, Where leather gaskets are used the screwcap must be screwed down hard by means of a wrench, the frequent use of which mutilates the screw-threads in the cap, the

enlarged scale.

wrench-flange on the cap, and the nipplethreads to such an extent that in a comparaby its own resiliency and capable of being seated to form a tight joint under slight pressure; second, to so form the gasket-seat on the nipple as to, adapt the gasket to close the joint in the most effective manner, and, third, to provide means for relieving the gasket of excess pressure and undue wear and friction.

With these and other minor objects in view the invention consistsof certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,and particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a liquid-hydrocarbon storage-tank, showing the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a section through the nipple, screw-cap, protecting cap or holder, and gasket on an Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the gasket. I

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a gasolene or other liquid-hydrocarbon storage-tank of any approved form and general construction,

and'2 is the pipe through which the hydro-' carbon discharges from the tank, the outflow cap 7 andaseat 10, formed therefor upon the I upper or outer end of the nipple 4, and is made according to my invention of a composition of glue, water, glycerin, and glucose 1 combined in suitable proportions to form a material resembling rubber and possessing great flexibility and resiliency and the capability of conformingaccurately to the shape of the part to which it is applied and .upon removal expanding to its normal shape or condition. This niaterial is also impervious to air, gasolene, and other hydrocarbon liquids, and it is insoluble therein, thus making it of great value for use as a seal or packing for cans or storage reservoirs of all kinds in which volatile'liquids are stored. In sealing the nipple 4 to form a liquid and air tight joint the gasket 9 is placed upon the seat 10 and the cap 7 screwed down to force said gasket to said seat. Owingto the great flexibility and re siliency of the gasket, but a slight pressure of the cap thereon is necessary to cause it to bear firmly against and to conform accurately to the shape of the seat, and it will be observed that the air-pressure upon and against the gasket serves to force, expand, and squeeze it into any and all apertures of escape. Hence but a slight screwing down of the cap under normal conditions is required, which may be effected by means of the fingers and without the use of a wrench or other form of tool, as ordinarily required. To secure the best results, I preferably make the seat 10 beveled or inclined or flaring, so that the cap 7 when screwed down will cause it to pack more se-- curely against the seat than would otherwise be the case and so that if the liquid within the tank is stored under pressure the pressure of the air acting on the gasket will spread the latter and force the edges thereof into the outer confined space between the upper edge of the beveled seat and the outer edge of the top wall of the cap, thereby closing the minutest point of the joint and sealing it hermetically against the exit of the hydrocarbon liquid and confined air. Owing to the fact that but a slight movement of the cap 7 is required to force the gasket to its seat, the flange 8 may be used as a finger-piece to manipulate said cap, and as the use of a wrench or other form of tool for screwing down or relieving the cap is thus obviated it will be readily seen that mutilation ofthe flange 8 is avoided and that consequently the cap may be employed for an indefinite period.

As the gasketis sealed securely under slight pressure, it may be found necessary to provide means to protect the gasket and prevent the screw-cap 7 from being screwed down too far on the nipple by a person unfamiliar with the properties of the gasket. To this end I may seat the gasket within a metallic protecting cap or holder 11, the flange of which is of somewhat less depth than the thickness of the gasket to allow the latter to project below the same to bear upon the seat 10, while the lower edge of the flange rests upon the upper edge of the nipple outside said seat, so that when the screw-cap 8 is screwed down the protecting-cap will be forced downward with the gasket, and when said gasket has become compressed to the desired extent the lower edge of the flange will bear upon the upper edge of the nipple and limit the further movement of the screw-cap 7, and consequently the further compression of the gasket, thus preventing the latter from being clamped too tightly. To reduce the contactsurface of the protecting-cap 1l,against which the screw-cap 7 bears, and to provide a flat backing for the gasket, I form said protecting-cap with a depressed top 12 and an annular rim 13. This top 12 forms a flat backingsurface for the gasket and the rim 13 a restricted surface for the cap 7 to bear upon, thus obviating'a. grinding friction otherwise produced when the cap 7 is screwed down and bears upon said protecting-cap, the flaring edges of this backing holding the gasket from the walls of the screw-cap, and the restricted surface bearing against the top of the cap allows the gasket to be forced against the top of the nipple without turning or grinding the gasket. An air-hole 14 is formed in the top 12 to facilitate the insertion and removal of the gasket.

From the forgoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides a gasket and seal which are simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and capable of application to liquid-hydrocarbon tan ks of all kinds having a filling-opening of the character described.

The gasket may be used for general sealing purposes to prevent the escape of air, gasolene, and other hydrocarbon liquids, as it is not affected by such liquids and will form a hermetically-tight joint to prevent the escape thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A container having an opening formed with a gasket-seat, a gasket-holder having an annular depending flange of less diameter than the outer wall of said seat and of greater diameter than the inner wall of said seat, a gasket having its edges and upper surface inelosed by said holder, and a confining-cap removably connected to said gasket-seat and designed to clasp the gasket to its seat, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a container having an exteriorly-threaded nipple formed with a flaring gasket-seat; of a gasket-holder provided with a downwardly extending surrounding flange to engage said seat, a gasket Lil surrounded by said flange and resting upon said seat, and a screw-cap for engaging said nipple and forcing the gasket to its seat, substantially as specified.

3. Thecombination with a container havin g an exteriorly-threaded nipple formedlwith a gasket-seat of a gasket-holder having a surroundingdepending flange and formed-with a central depression, said flange adapted to engage said seat, a gasket surrounded by said flange and resting upon said seat, and a screwcap for engaging said nipple and forcing the gasket to its seat, substantially as set forth.

4.1 In combination with a liquid-hydrocar- "IJOSSBS.

PHILO J'.'LOCKWOOD.

Witnesses:

LENA LooKWooD,- NELLA HOOK. 

